Changes Make It Easier for Stump the Professor Fans to Play Along

One of the best things about the Gerald and Barbara Holzman Stump the Professors session is that the audience can play along to try and determine the correct diagnosis.

This year, Stump the Professors organizers have decided to enhance the experience by adding the power of technology. Those attending the session, which starts at 3:30 pm today in Hall D, will be able to use their mobile devices to share what they think the correct diagnosis is. A running tally of responses will be kept, but the group of four professors on stage won’t be able see them. As always, they will have to figure out the diagnosis by themselves.

Sharon T. Phelan, MD

Four Junior Fellows will each present a challenging case. If the professors come up with the correct diagnosis, they get a point. If the Junior Fellows stump the professors, they get the point. This year’s moderator, Sharon T. Phelan, MD, University of New Mexico, who is a former panelist, said this year’s cases would be challenging and instructive.

“Sometimes, you can have such far-out zebras that you think it’s just ivory-tower stuff that has no relevance to the real world,” she said. “We tried to choose ones that were challenging, but the foundation was what most people in practice may run into. It may have ended up with an interesting twist or complication or presentation, but we’re hoping that people can identify them.”

Dr. Phelan and the rest of the committee reviewed more than 50 cases for this year’s session. The overall quality of the submissions was so high that the group decided to make nine other entries available for meeting attendees to consider. They will be displayed on meter boards throughout the meeting.

“If you want to read it, think about it for a while, talk with your colleagues, and then see how good you are at coming up with the answer for a Stump the Professor case, this is your chance,” Dr. Phelan said.